Bolt actuator for closures



, May 21, 1957 D. F. SMITH BOLT ACTUATOR FOR CLOSURES Filed March 6, 1956 DorzaldRShzzltli BY A 62% ATTORNEY BOLT ACTUATOR FOR CLOSURES Donald F. Smith, I-Iolliston, Mass., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The invention relates to closures for containers and more specifically to actuators for bolts for locking said closure to the containers. The closures for metal drums or metal cans usually are screw threaded plugs or caps because a screw threaded structure is the most practical and economical. However, at times such a container is put to special uses as by being used as a small tank for a liquid fuel burning stove. In such a use .an adapter closure may be substituted for the normal closure and such adapter closure by virtue of the inclusion therein of a vent tube which extends diagonally inwardly of the container cannot be screw threaded because the vent tube prevents rotation of the adapter closure. To solve this difficulty, such adapter closures have been secured in place by cam expanded plugs or the drain and vent tubes have been pivotally mounted axially of a screw threaded plug so that they may be stationary as the plug is screwed into place in the container opening. Neither of these expedients is satisfactory as the former does not obtain a satisfactory seal and the latter is not only extremely expensive but is diflicult to make fluid tight about the pivotally mounted drain and vent tubes. Other means of securing the closures in places are likewise unsatisfactory as being unable to impose uniform pressure on the sealing gasket or they cannot be made small enough for use with the small sized plugs necessary for the containers specified above.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved actuator for closure seal ing bolts of a container closure.

A further object is to provide such an actuator which is in the nature of a traveling rack which is in constant engagement with gear teeth formed on the adjacent end of a pivotally mounted closure bolt.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention, the structure of the several elements thereof, combinations and subcombinations of such elements, all of which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure l is an elevational view of an adapter plug according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 22 of Figure 1, the parts being shown in the locked position;

Figure 3 is a similar sectional view but taken on a plane at right angles to the plane of the line 2-2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view like Figure 2 but showing the parts in the released position; and

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

" to States Patent O 2,792,963 e Patented May 21, 1957;

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like parts in all views, 10 designates the top wall of a container. Such wall 10 is formed with an embossment 11 in which is mounted a conventionalscrew threaded flange or sput 12 for the usual threaded closure plug, not shown.

In the embodiment illustrated, there has been provided an adapter plug 13 which includes a body portion formed to provide a plug portion 14 having a free fit in the opening of the sput 12 and a flange portion 15 which overlies the embossmentll and forces any suitable sealing washer or gasket 16 thereagainst. The lower part of the plug portion 14 is formed with a diametral, vertical slot 17 which is spanned by two coplanar and laterally spaced horizontal pins 18 for the latch bolts 20 now to be described.

Each bolt 20 pivots on its pin 18 and comprises a toe 21 which at times, Figure 2, projects radially outwardly of the plug portion 14 but which can be retracted radially inwardly thereof in theslot 17 as shown in Fig ure 4. The inner ends or heels of the bolts 20 are formed with at least two gear teeth 22 which are meshed with complementary gear teeth 24 on a .nut or traveler 23. The traveler 23 is threadedly engaged with the screw threaded lower end 25 of a shaft 26 which includes an unthreaded upper portion 27 which is journalled in the body portion of the plug 13 axially thereof. Any suitable means such as the washer 28 may be secured to the upset lower end of the shaft 26 to prevent loss of the nut 23. As best seen in Figure 5, the nut 23 has a close, free fit in the slot 17 whereby it cannot rotate with the shaft 26 and is forced to travel therealong as the same is rotated. When the shaft 26 is rotated in one direction, the bolts 20 are retracted into the slot 17 so that the assembly may be removed from or applied to the sput 12. However, rotation of the shaft 26 in the opposite direction serves to project the toes 21 radially outwardly of the plug portion 14. The pins 18 are so located and the toes 21 are so shaped that when this occurs, the assembly being seated in the sput 12, the toes 21 engage the lower edge of the sput 12 and draw the plug 13 axially downwardly so that the flange portion 15 forces the gasket 16 into sealing engagement with the embossment 11 with a uniform pressure. This position is illustrated in Figure 2.

Rotation of the shaft 26 is accomplished by the knob 30 which has a non-circular axial opening which receives the complementary, non-circular upper end 29 of the shaft 26. Knob 30 may be secured in place by any suitable means such as the washer 31 and upset upper end 32 of the shaft 26.

Leakage around the shaft 26 is prevented by any suitable packing. Thus, a counter bore 33 may be formed in the plug portion 14 above the slot 17. An annular rib 34 of the shaft 26 has a close fit in said counterbore 33 and retains therein any suitable packing 35.

The adapter plug 13 according to the disclosure includes a vent passage 36 having an inner end in which a vent tube 37 is secured and an outlet passage 38 having an outer end in which an outlet tube 39 may be secured. The intake for the outlet passage 38 may be furnished with a screen 40, if desired. The passages 36 and 38 extend through the plug 13 on opposite sides of the slot 17 in the embodiment shown but it is obvious that other arrangements of these are contemplated and are within the scope of the invention.

It is apparent that the arrangement shown and de scribed is capable of being used as a small adapter plug which is necessary to fit the standard openings of the drums and five gallon cans with which it will generally be used. At the same time, it is clear that the pivoted bolts 20 will apply uniform pressure on the gasket 16 and packing 35 so as to provide a tight seal. Also, this type of screw threaded actuator permits the bolts to compensate for any compression set which may occur in the gasket 16 and packing 35.

Moreover, while there'has been shown and described what is 'now thought to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, the invention is not limited to the precise structure shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

A closure for a container opening defined by a sput or the like, comprising a plug having a free fit in said sput, there being a gasket seat about said opening, said closure having an annular flange overlying said seat, a sealing gasket interposed between said flange and seat, said plug having a lower portion formed with a downwardly opening diametral slot, a pair of laterally spaced cross pins in said lower end of said plug, said pins spanning said slot, a bolt pivoted on each pin, a rotatable shaft journalled in said plug axially thereof, said shaft having a screw threaded lower end extending into said slot between said bolts, a nut threaded on said lower end of said shaft, said nut having a slidable fit in said slot to prevent rotation of said nut with said shaft, said nut having two opposite side faces formed with spur gear teeth, said bolts having inner ends formed with spur gear teeth enmeshed with said teeth of said nut, said bolts having front ends comprising toes, means for rotating said shaft, rotation of said shaft in one direction being operative to move said nut and said rear ends of said bolts downwardly, whereby said toes of said bolts are swung upwardly, and said toes being so formed and arranged that such action moves said toes from retracted positions wherein they are housed in said slot to projected operative positions wherein they cammingly engage said sput and draw said flange of said closure and said gasket into sealing engagement with said gasket seat.

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 135,822 Laforge Feb. 11, 1873 736,934 Carlson Aug. 25, 1903 2,476,471 Wilson July 19, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 191,428 Great Britain I an. 9, 1923 

